


Julie Molina punches Luke Patterson in the guts (emotionally. in a good way.)

by shiny_penny



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Everybody dies/nobody lives AU, F/M, Fluff, Flynn is a hobbyist fashion designer, Julie and the Himbos, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but sometimes you just want juke fluff, fic to the rescue, i'm glad they haven't pushed more of a romance between them in the show yet, julie and flynn bff time, lol jk, lovestruck dummies, no beta we die like we ate poisoned hot dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiny_penny/pseuds/shiny_penny
Summary: The exquisite Julie Molina is thriving. She has an incredible and supportive family, the best best friend in the world, and three resident ghosts she couldn’t live without (ha!). Best of all, she has a talented band to make her dream music with and they’re actually getting noticed. She loves herself and her life. Not to mention there’s a very cute ghost who looks at her like she’s the world…Then a heart to heart with Flynn about her crush makes her realize Luke might not be as confident as he pretends to be – and there might be more than one reason he hasn’t voiced his feelings yet. But she is Julie Molina, and she’s not one to wait for a boy to do something she can do herself. (And whoever said guys flirt better than girls?)So Julie Molina, the girl who can do anything, comes up with an incredible plan.She is going to woo Luke Patterson.
Relationships: Flynn & Julie Molina, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 155





	Julie Molina punches Luke Patterson in the guts (emotionally. in a good way.)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blushandbooks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blushandbooks/gifts).



Two weeks had passed since their show at the Orpheum. It was a warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon, and two best friends were lounging haphazardly on the bed, relaxing after a particularly stressful day at school. They were enjoying the quintessential modern-day hanging out – a.k.a. scrolling through their feeds and showing each other funny, cute, and interesting things they found while talking and laughing together. Flynn lay on her back across the foot of the bed, swinging feet dangling off the edge, and squinting because the sun was in her eyes but refusing to move out of spite. Julie sat cross legged and chin-in-hand, dark curls glowing as they caught the gold afternoon light streaming in through the window.

“Awww,” sighed Julie happily, and pouted at her phone with that expression one has when they’re looking at a basket of golden retriever puppies.

Flynn paused in her absentminded humming of _Flying Solo,_ “Girl what is it? Is it a basket of golden retriever puppies?”

“No it’s a little lizard! Look,” said Julie as she turned her phone to face Flynn. “And he’s got his little tongue sticking out.”

“Aww. Okay, that is seriously cute. But look at the dog _I_ just found.” Flynn shoved her phone at Julie, who proceeded to squeal because holy crap, that dog _was_ seriously cute, and he was smiling at the camera to boot.

“I can’t express how much I physically need to pet that dog.”

“I know!” Flynn exclaimed. “Why is this person filming him and not petting him? What a _monster_.” She gazed at the dog who was a very good boy for a bit longer before scrolling on. “I wish your dad would let you guys get pets.”

“Tell me about it. Next time we’re hanging at YOUR house, because I’m in desperate need of some Rudy cuddles. And I just know that dog needs a good scruffing.”

“Yes puh-lease. Maybe this weekend?”

“It’s a plan.”

They lapsed back into a warm, comfy silence.

After a couple minutes Flynn glanced back up at Julie to see her softly smiling at the bedspread, phone in hand forgotten.

Flynn poked her in the knee. “What’s that big smile for?”

Julie’s smile grew to a grin involuntarily. “I don’t know! I’m just so… happy. It’s like… it feels like my dreams are _actually_ in reach, you know? Like the stars I’m reaching for are just up there, the sky is close, and I have a ladder straight to them. I feel like I can actually pluck them out of the sky.” She lifted her arm and pretended to grab a star from above her head. Then she leaned forward and gave Flynn a big grin. “And I’m gonna do it, too! Then I’m going to place them in my hair and wear them.”

Flynn laughed happily. “Those stars are no match for Julie Molina! Outer space better watch out. And…” she trailed off, then put a finger to her chin. “That actually gives me an AMAZING idea for your next show outfit.”

She leaned over the bed to grab Julie’s backpack, then upended it to dump all the contents on the floor. Julie let out a groan of exasperation, which was completely ignored by Flynn as she grabbed a notebook and crappy mechanical pencil from the pile. Sitting back, she opened to a blank page and started sketching. 

“Imagine this. Blouse. Skirt. Knee-length, lots of swishy, billowy goodness.” Julie watched as the pencil skritched across the page. “Dark colors all around, blacks. Blues, purples, some teal accents. Maybe space or galaxy print. Then I sew some white battery-powered LEDs onto a bunch of hair clips, and we put them in your hair all over to be stars. I bet we could make you the most beautiful galaxy NASA’s ever seen!”

“Flynn! That’s the best idea _ever_. I love it. I—"

“Wait wait, that’s not all. Now consider: we also give you a tie. Mmmm yes. Completely black with LED stars too? Or maybe a print that looks like the surface of the moon? Maybe green alien faces… idk. We’ll decide. And to top it all off – combat boots with white light-up laces.”

Julie grabbed her friend’s shoulders. “Ugh, babe. YOUR MIND! Please." She looked down at the paper again. "This has got to be one of your best designs yet, and that’s even considering the white with butterflies outfit you did for me.”

Flynn giggled and bowed as well as one can when sitting cross-legged on a squishy bed. “Thank you, thank you. Only the best for my bestie.”

“Are you _sure_ you don’t want to become a fashion designer instead? _Totally_ _sure?_ Because I think you’d be great at it.”

“Yeah, girl! Absolutely sure. I’ve thought about it more since we last talked about it, and I think I’d be happiest keeping it just as my hobby. I don’t want anyone interfering with my vibes, and I don’t want to deal with the industry pressure. These are just for us. Cute, comfy, classy, unique. Clothes are my art. Serve looks, and help yourself to the looks others are serving,” Flynn said with a hair toss.

Julie looked at her proudly. “I know, I know. I just want the whole world to see your creations. I want to shout to the world, That’s my best friend, everyone! She is incredible!”

“Hey now, I don’t create them, really. I simply buy clothes that haven’t achieved their full potential and just…” she shrugged with a smirk. “Improve them. Help them be all they can be.”

“Lo que sea, still counts. These are wonderful ideas. You’re the best ever. We should go shopping and look for lights and ties and things. I can ask my dad to take us tomorrow if you want?”  
  
“Yes! Yes yes yes. Yes. We could also come up with some outfit ideas for the guys, too. Look at this shirt I saw yesterday, it would compliment this outfit so well.” Flynn grabbed her phone to pull up the picture.

Julie shook her head with a smile. “Sorry girl, that has sleeves. Luke isn’t gonna go for it.”

Flynn side-eyed her best friend. “I bet he will if you ask him, wink wink.”

“Did you just say wink wink out loud?”

Flynn flopped back on the bed and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Julie glared at her.

Flynn wiggled her eyebrows harder.

“Stop waggling those perfect brows at me! You could just ask him yourself.”

“Uh huh, sure. I’m just sayin. I’ve never seen a person look like a literal heart-eyes emoji, but you and your ghost boy seem to give it your best shot. I bet you could ask him to eat sand and he’d eat the whole beach just for you.”

“That’d be mean. And weird. And he’s not _my_ ghost boy.”

“Lies! You can’t hide that smile from me!”

Julie tried her best, but her grin broke through anyway and she groaned good-naturedly. “Yeah I… I _really_ like him. He’s just…” She flopped on her back next to Flynn in a poof of hair. “Luke and I click, you know? We understand each other. And have fun together, and making music with him is like my favorite thing in the whole world. And—” Julie abruptly cut herself off. “Yeah.”

“And what?”

“And nothing!”

“AAAAAAAND?”

“And… Ireallywanttorunmyfingersthroughhishair.”

Flynn burst out laughing. “That’s fair. His hair is gorgeous. But we’re not talking about his hair, we’re talking about your heart! You like him, and I’ve _seen_ how he looks at you. When are you guys gonna be official? Have you talked about it?”

Julie’s embarrassed grin dimmed, a slight frown taking its place on her face. She rolled over to look at Flynn and put her chin in her hands, actually serious. “Be honest with me. Do you _really, truly_ think he likes me? For sure? Like, Reggie said he has chemistry with everyone he sings with. I don’t wanna assume. And he’s never _told_ me he likes me or thinks of me as anything more than a good friend.”

“Jules, are you serious right now?”

“Yes? I don’t know! He hasn’t said anything! I’m worried he might not actually like me like that, that I’m just caught up in wishful thinking and he’s just a loving, expressive person and I’m gonna make a fool of myself if I say anything and it could ruin our friendship and our music and the band and-”

“Jules, Jules, you’re babbling. Let me think.” Flynn looked up at the ceiling for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her dark face. “Have you considered maybe… he’s insecure?”

Julie looked at her disbelievingly, “Luke. Insecure?”

“Okay hear me out.” Flynn sat up and grabbed Julie’s hands to pull her up with her.

“Julie, you’re confident, kind, loving, strong, gorgeous, _wicked_ talented… that's an intimidating combination. You’re pretty much the best person I’ve ever met.”

Julie’s disbelieving expression became more disbelieving, as well as fond and exasperated.

“Stop that! You’re literally a queen. And by literally I mean figuratively.” They both giggled. “But you know what I’m saying! There’s no one like you, and I’ll be honest — even _I’m_ intimidated by you sometimes. Nope! Don’t interrupt me, you can protest later. I’m just telling it like it is. And if that happens to me, your best friend, I GUARANTEE it happens to Luke too. He knows you’re out of his league.”

She paused, but Julie didn’t say anything. Flynn grinned and continued, “But you’re not perfect, because you don’t like peanut butter. So don’t let it get to your head.”

They both giggled again, and Julie leaned forward to rest her forehead against her friend’s. “Thank you, Flynn. Really. I’m not as perfect as you think I am,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Flynn’s eyeroll, “but I’m _really_ grateful for your confidence in me. It's actually really encouraging. Also I didn’t even realize he might see me that way.” Julie leaned back and poked Flynn in the cheek. “So thank you.”

Flynn shoved her shoulder. “That’s what best friends are for. Giving you a dose of reality when you’re being wrong. And I’m telling you,” she continued, “literally _everyone_ can see he’s totally gone on you. And if he's being this obvious and you still weren’t sure he liked you — imagine what he feels. You don't give him as much to go off of. He’s probably just as worried you might not like _him_.”

Julie sat back against the headboard and turned to look out the window, falling quiet as she thought about this.

Flynn watched her for a bit, then resumed her internet rummaging. Letting Julie sort through her mind and heart for a bit.

Despite her quiet exterior, Julie’s mind was going haywire. She thought about how she was _pretty_ sure Luke liked her. It was at least 70% likely, right? 65%? Those times he looked her in the eyes so earnestly. He was always supporting her and building her up. Encouraging her dreams, her goals. Ready to help her however she needed.

_“Anything Julie, you know that.”_

Julie’s face and heart warmed thinking about that conversation. Did he know she’d do just as much for him? That she is impressed by his songwriting and loves hearing him play? How much she loves his voice? How much she admires his passion and loves singing with him? How absolutely f-ing cute she thinks he is? How _very_ badly she wants to run her hands through his hair, and how nice his arms look in cutoff shirts… No! Don’t get distracted, Julie. Focus.

Wow, but now that she’s thinking about it, she’s never really voiced any of the things she feels. At least not in a way that’s any different from how she also supports Alex and Reggie. How could Luke know for sure? Does he worry she doesn’t like him back? Is he also insecure... Hmmm. There’s NO way a portion of that cockiness isn’t a front. Nobody’s that pure of confidence. Okay, so maybe looking at someone adoringly really isn’t enough… How inconvenient.

_I want him to know how much I support him. And how much I ado- Wait. Wow, I_ adore _him—_

“Does he even know you don’t actually like Nick anymore?”

Julie’s thoughts ground to a halt at Flynn’s interruption. Now _that_ was another something she hadn’t thought about.

Julie’s eyes got a bit bigger as she mentally went through her and Luke’s conversations. “Actually, now that you say that… probably not,” she said, wincing.

Flynn heaved an over-exaggerated sigh. “Okay, so we’ve established there are some decent reasons why he might not have said anything yet. Which do NOT include,” she said, putting her finger matter-of-factly on the tip of Julie’s nose. Julie went cross eyed looking at it. “— because you aren’t the best thing to ever happen to him.” 

Julie rolled her eyes at her best friend. “All right, all right. I believe you. I guess I should probably tell him, huh?” she said, looking down at her hands as she twisted them in her lap.

“It’s 2020, girl! You should just sweep him off his feet. We don’t need to leave all the pursuing to the guys. Especially not when a girl can do it better,” Flynn said, winking. She paused for a second, and then threw her head back and laughed heartily. “Can you just _imagine_ his face if you straight-up flirted with him? He’d never expect it. I think you’d utterly break him.”

Julie paused to imagine that for a second. The thought sounded… really good actually. Both hilarious and devious and… something else that felt like a swarm of butterflies having a disco in her stomach. 

“That’s assuming he likes me.”

“GIRL! He does. Trust me. You want him?”

Julie hesitated at Flynn’s look of absolute mischief, but answered resignedly, “Yes.”

“Then _go get him_.”

Wow. The thought was daunting, so daunting. Is this how other people felt when confronted with confessing their feelings? Dios mío.

But Julie Molina was never one to shy away from a challenge. And as she started to mentally psych herself up, a light went off in her brain. Oh... this could be _good_.

Flynn laughed as Julie’s face went from adorable and nervous to adorable and mischievous.

“You’re totally right, and I just had an AMAZING idea. I gotta go talk to Reggie and Alex.” Julie climbed off the bed and started walking out of the room, but paused halfway out the door to turn back to her. “You’re staying for dinner, right?”

Flynn scoffed, “There is NO way I’m missing your dad’s homemade pizza.”

Julie grinned. “Awesome. Te queiro, I’ll be back,” and then she was gone.

Flynn stared after her at the empty doorway and shook her head fondly.

_That boy has no idea what’s coming for him._

**Author's Note:**

> Translations
> 
> Lo que sea - Whatever  
> Dios mío - oh my god  
> Te quiero - love you
> 
> I'm a very newbie writer, and the only way to learn is by doing. So as long as you're kind about it, constructive criticism is VERY WELCOME! :D


End file.
